James Breaks out
by JayManney4Life
Summary: James, having grown tired of his horrible life with Team Rocket, decides to strike out on his own, and see where his fortune takes him. DISCONTINUED I might actually come back and rewrite this one, although I definitely think there are better writers out there...
1. Enough is enough

James Breaks Out  
by Jay Manney

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I have a mew plushie, a couple of the games, and even a movie, but I do not own Pokemon. I don't own Team Rocket either, but no one seems to care about that.

James got up out of the hole he, Meowth, and Jesse had crashlanded in. "This is rediculous... we keep losing every time we go against those twerps and their stupid Pikachu... I'm seriously thinking of quitting Team Rocket and going out on my own... what good has this really done for me?" The blue-haired trainer shook his head, then threw off his rocket shirt, revealing his black undershirt beneath it. "Come Meowth, let's go out and try to make something of ourselves. Let the boss find someone else to get that stupid pikachu for him."

Meowth blinked, watching James walk off, "Whoa, wait up, Jimmy. I've only got two feet!"

"Meowth, this is going to be a new start for us. No more Giovanni towering over our heads yelling at us for failing. No more blasting off from getting blasted with thunderbolts by Pikachu. No more Team Rocket. It's just us, and the highway." James said triumphantly, pointing a finger to the sky as they marched onward.

Meowth scratched his head some, "But James, you don't got a map, or even a Pokedex, what are ya's gonna do?"

James smirked, "Simple. The last time mom and dad tried to keep me under lock and key to marry Jezebel, I made a phone call to a hacker friend of mine. An old acquaintance from my days in the Pokemon Academy, and I asked him to do a favor for me. My friend made a little change in the computers at my family's bank, now whenever they put money into their accounts, a small ammount is sent into mine, and they never know it. Right now, I have a grand total of eight million zenny in my personal bank account."

Meowth's feline eyes got as big as saucers, "Eight Million Zenny?! Dat's enough to buy Team Rocket right out from under da boss' nose!"

James chuckled, "Who cares about Team Rocket anymore, Meowth? With that much money at my disposal, I can do nearly anything I wish. But for now, I simply want to get as far away from my past with Team Rocket as possible..." A thought then entered the blue-haired trainer's head, "Say Meowth, how would you feel about the two of us trying to get into the Pokemon League?"

Meowth raised an eyebrow, "You mean, you and me competing in gym battles and such?"

James nodded his head, "Of course. How else would we do it? Steal badges? We all know what happened the last time we tried that, and personally, I wouldn't mind having a go at trying to win battles for a change." He grinned, "With you, Weezing, and Victorybell at my side, who knows. Maybe we might actually stand a chance."

Meowth sighed, but then he got an idea, "Hey Jim, what about your Growlith? Da one ya left guarding your folks?"

James blinked, "Growlie? ... That's a brilliant idea Meowth, but how would we get him away from there?" The two of them thought for a moment, then hatched a brilliant scheme.

To Be Continued


	2. The Great Escape

Disclaimer: Still don't own Pokemon, but I wish I did, I want a mew! 

That evening, after renting a motorbike from a local bikeshop in a nearby city, James and Meowth arrived at the gates of James' family's estate. Using the same sneaky tactics they had often used in trying to catch Pikachu, the two former Rockets snuck onto the grounds, before finding Growlie's doghouse, where the flaming canine was fast asleep. Sending Meowth to sneak into his room to get his faithful pet's pokeball, as well as James' old Pokedex, James slowly crept up to his sleeping dog's spot, carrying a pair of bolt cutters to remove his chain.

Smelling something familiar in the air, Growlie woke up and started to growl, only to lock his canine eyes upon the face of his loving master.

James smiled, patting Growlie on the head before going ahead with cutting the chain, freeing his friend just in time for Meowth to come back with his things. "Good work Meowth, now then, let's get out of here before my folks wake up, last thing we need is..."

"JAMESY-POO!"

James, Meowth, and Growlie turned in terror, seeing the sight of Jezebel and his family running towards them, armed with large nets and ropes, "Ya'll won't be gettin' away this time, Sugah Dumplin."

The boy and two pokemon screamed in terror, taking off like marathon runners in the other direction, hopping ontop of James' bike, and tearing down the rode at insane speeds, not wishing to be caught again.

To Be Continued


	3. Return of a Partner

Disclaimer: Maybe someday, Pokemon will be mine, but for now, it isn't, now go and read. I must wallow in self pity. 

An hour later, once they were sure they were far, far away from the mansion, James stopped infront of a nearby Pokemon Center, giving a soft sigh as he and Meowth walked inside, Growlie having been stored inside of his pokeball for the time being.

"Phew, dat was a real close shave." Meowth said, catching his breath.

James nodded his head, running a hand through his blue hair, "You said it Meowth, if I ever see that horrible girl again, it'll be too soon."

"Which one, James? That witch Jezebel, or me?"

James and Meowth turned again, getting nearly their second heart attack of the day when they saw who addressed them, "Jesse?!"

The red-haired girl smiled softly, being outside of her normal Rocket uniform. Instead, she was clad in a pair of tight jeans, and wore a tanktop and a denim vest to go with her jeans. "I couldn't just let you two go off by yourselves... besides, I was tired of working under the boss' thumb as well, it wasn't until you two idiots decided to leave that I got up the nerve to as well.... I'd.. like to come along with you guys, if you'd have me." She smiled, looking quite sincere. "And don't worry about me mooching off of you James, I know you have your own money, but I have some cash put away as well." Rubbing her neck abit, she spoke once more, "When mom died, she had been saving a trust fund for me for when I got older. Just recently, I was of legal age to get into it, and it might not be anywhere near what you have, but it's enough so I'll be comfortable if I wish to be. So what do you boys say... are we still a team?" She offered a hand to James, hoping he'd take it.

James and Meowth looked at one another, then smiled himself and took his long time friend's hand as well, "You bet Jess, even if we're not working for them anymore, we're still Team Rocket, Jesse and James, together til the end."

Meowth jumped up, clamping both paws down on their joined hands, "Meowth, you bettah believe it!"

The three friends smiled, just as teh resident Joy approached them. "Good evening, I saw you three come in... do you need your Pokemon healed up for you?" she asked, smiling bright and cheery.

James nodded his head, pulling his pokeballs from his bag, as did Jesse, then handing them to the nurse. "Take good care of them, they're the only ones we've got." James replied.

The Joy smiled and nodded her head, "Of course. We should have them back to you two in about an hour or so. While you wait, maybe I could interest you in something to eat, or a place to rest up for the evening?"

James and Jesse looked at each other, but James smiled and shook his head, "That will be alright... the we might return later on to sleep for the night, if that would be alright."

Joy smiled and nodded, "Of course sir, we'll be sure to wait up for you." And with that, the nurse took the tray holding the two ex-Rocket's pokeballs to be rejuvinated, and the two of them plus Meowth departed the Pokemon Center, deciding to explore the town they were in and also see about getting a bite to eat.

To Be Continued


	4. Next move

After a delicious meal at one of the nicer restaurants in town, Jesse, James, and Meowth sighed while laying back in their seats.  
  
"I gotta admit, it's nice to enjoy food and actually not have to run out without paying." Meowth purred, rubbing his full belly.  
  
"Agreed, I much prefer being able to use money instead of having to steal money." James chuckled, picking his teeth with a toothpick.  
  
Jesse smiled, "So James, what exactly did you plan to do now that you're not in Team Rocket anymore?" She inquired.  
  
"Jim's planning on taking a shot at one of the different leagues." Meowth chimmed in.  
  
This came as a shock to the red headed trainer, "You mean you actually want to try your hand at gym battles and all that?"  
  
James nodded his head, smiling, "Of course... I figure, why not? We've fought the twerps and the pokemon of different gym leaders around the world, why not actually try to win for once? ... besides, who knows, I could get lucky and actually make it to one of the different pokemon leagues."  
  
Jesse sighed, then smiled, "Well James, if that's what you want to do, then okay. I can at least tag along and help keep you out of trouble."  
  
James grinned, "And for once, it might not need to be double."  
  
Meowth slapped his charm-clad forehead, "You two really need to learn not to start the motto anymore."  
  
James stood to his feet, really to take off, "Well, there's no time like the present. I say we head back to the Pokemon center, collect our balls, get a good night's sleep, and start first thing tomorrow morning."  
  
Jesse mused, "You're really keen on this idea, aren't you James?"  
  
"Of course he is, it's the first real one he's had in years." Meowth grinned coyly.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
******************* 


	5. A new catch

The next morning, after a good night's sleep at the Pokemon Center, James and Jesse retrieved their pokemon from Nurse Joy. Climbing on the back of James' bike, the trio set out on their way, with James intending to make a mark in the different Pokemon Leagues.  
  
"So James, any idea where to head first?" Jesse asked, holding onto the blue-haired trainer as he maneuvered his bike down the road.  
  
"First off, we find ourselves the nearest gym, which from what I heard from that Joy back there, was in the next town, about 45 minutes away by bike... of course, that's only if we obey the speed limit." James chuckled, reving his motor and kicking it into high gear.  
  
Jesse and Meowth held on for dear life, as James exploded down the highway, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.  
  
About 20 minutes later, after narrowly avoiding crashing into the squad bike of a roaming Officer Jenny, the three ex-rockets came to a crossroad. Screeching to a hault, the three of them dismounted and walked up to the sign in the center, seeing what it had to say.  
  
Meowth pulled the map from James' bag, looking at it as James looked at the sign, "Accordin' to this sign here, if we go left, it'll take us straight through ... Cerulean City!"  
  
James blinked, "Isn't that the home of the water twerp's sisters and their gym?"  
  
Meowth nodded, "Yeah... of course, if we go right, it'll take us straight through to Lavender Town. No gyms there..."  
  
Jesse and James looked at one another and thought about it, then James got an idea, "Growlie is a fire type pokemon, and those sisters all use water types... in a sense, I should have some sort of advantage."  
  
Jesse nodded, "True, but on the other hand, if their water pokemon connected with him, it could be bad."  
  
James sighed, nodding his head, "True... but I still have Weezing and Victorybell. And of course, Meowth," He smirked.  
  
Meowth blinked, "Hey hey hey! I'm just the coach, I don't do water battles!"  
  
Jesse groaned, "Don't be such a wet blanket Meowth, besides, wouldn't you love to be able to say you helped in a decisive battle to win a badge?"  
  
Meowth thought about it, then sighed, "Awright, but I'm only in as a reserve, if one of da other pokemon gets injured or someting, got it?"  
  
"We got it," both trainers said, nodding and laughing. James then blinked, putting a hand over Jesse's mouth to shut her up. Jesse blinked and glared, trying to grumble around his hand, until James turned her head towards where he was pointing a finger.  
  
Under a tall tree by the side of the road, a small Abra was sleeping rather deeply, not seeming the least bit aware of the trio's presence.  
  
"An Abra." All three of them whispered.  
  
James smirked some, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an empty Pokeball. "Okay... here's the plan, I sneak up to it, making sure not to make a sound, then bean it on the head with the pokeball and hope to heck that it ensnares the little devil." All three of them nodded, then James took a deep breath, clutching the pokeball in his hand after enlarging it. Carefully, he crept up to the sleeping pokemon, freezing in place after stepping on a twig. The Abra yawned abit, shifted around, then resumed snoring away. James let out a held breath, then stood in place before winding his arm. "The wind-up, and now... the pitch!" he chucked the pokeball out of his hand, sending it hurtling towards the Abra's head, as Jesse, James, and Meowth all kept their fingers crossed.   
  
BAM!  
  
The ball struck the Abra across the forehead, knocking it senseless for a brief moment, just long enough for the ball to open up and strike it with a red energy beam. Just like that, it got sucked up into the ball, before the red and white orb fell to the ground, rocking back and forth for a moment as the indicator blinked on and off.  
  
"Come on... come on, stay in there." James cried, squeezing the breath out of Meowth's throat.  
  
"Help... air..." Meowth cried.  
  
Finally, the ball stopped dead center, and the light on the white dot finally faded. The three of them leaped into the air, jumping for joy. "Woohoo! I don't believe it! I caught an Abra! Those suckers are almost impossible to get!" James picked up the ball and grinned from ear to ear, "My first new pokemon in ... well, it's been ages. Now I know how that twerp Ash feels." He giggled in his horse-like manner. "I had forgotten how good that felt."  
  
A soft beeping was coming from James' pocket. "You's got a cellphone or someting, Jimmy?"  
  
James shook his head, reaching into his other pocket, pulling out his old Pokedex, which Meowth had gotten for him while they were back at the mansion. "It says here I have new data... let's give this puppy a whirl, shall we?" Pressing the blue button, a small picture of Abra was shown, and a female electronic voice started to speak.  
  
[Abra: The Psychic Pokemon. They are well known for being incredibly difficult to catch, more often then not disappearing before the first sign of trouble. When they are caught, however, they often bring good luck to those few trainers capable of capturing them.]  
  
Jesse smiled, "Well well, it seems our luck has just gone up for once. Maybe this is a sign of good things to come our way."  
  
Meowth thrusted a clawed paw in the air, "Leaving Team Rocket was da best idea we had yet. Now da world is our oyster, and I got first dibs on the ketchup!"  
  
Tossing the Pokeball on the ground, James smiled, "Come on out Abra, let's get a look at our newest companion."  
  
When the ball struck down, it immediately popped open, expelling the little armadillo-looking pokemon, who looked abit disoriented. "... Ab.. ra?"  
  
James knelt down infront of it, giving it a soft smile, "Dreadfully sorry to wake you from your nap, my little friend. My name is James, I'm your new trainer, how'd you like to help me win a few gym battles here and there? Does that sound like fun?"  
  
Abra just tilted it's head and yawned, rubbing it's eyes some, "Abra... ab ab abra..."  
  
"It said it doesn't like gettin woken up by some idiot with blue hair." Meowth said, laughing abit.  
  
James sweatdroppped and shook his head, "Like I said, I'm sorry for ruining your beauty sleep. But if you help me with the battle at the gym we're heading to, I'll make sure you get to sleep as long as you want afterwards, I'll even book a room for you and make sure a 'Do Not Disturb' sign is put on the door. Okay?"  
  
Abra thought about it for a moment, then looked up at James again, "Bra... ab ab abra... abra..."  
  
"He said to make sure they had those nice little chocolates on the pillows, and you have a deal." Meowth said, crossing his arms.  
  
James grinned, "You got a deal, my little psychic comrade." He patted him on the head, then stood up to his feet and pointed down the left pathway, "Pack your things, my friends. Next stop, Cerulean City!"  
  
To Be Continued... 


	6. Gym battle

By noon, the trio arrived at the city limits of Cerulean City, much to their delight. After a nice lunch, and a small chat with their new companion Abra, the three of them took off in search for the Cerulean Gym. Luckily for them, it didn't take that long to locate, the building's aquarium- decor was sort of a dead giveaway anyways.  
  
"Funny, the last time we were here, it was to steal the pokemon from the twerps during their gym battle, and now, here we are, and I'm about to try for a battle of my own," James mused.  
  
Meowth sighed, "Let's just hope dey don't remember us, or this could get rather ugly."  
  
James smiled, "No worries Meowth, I got all our charges dropped, remember? We're starting off with a clean slate, and are about to take the first steps upon our new road of glory."  
  
James took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then smiled as he, Jesse, and Meowth all walked inside. "Look out Cerulean Gym leaders, James has come to town!"  
  
Inside of the gym, things looked a bit different from last time. There were larger and smaller pool areas, several large tanks showing off different and exotic s of aquatic pokemon, and there were people looking around in fascination of it all.  
  
"Wow, things sure have changed since last time we were here." Jesse said.  
  
"Dis place looks like freakin Sea World," Meowth chimed in.  
  
"I don't think we'll be bumping into Shamo though," James chuckled.  
  
"Can I help you?" came a voice.  
  
James chuckled and slowly turned around, eyes closed momentarily, "Why yes, miss. I'm here to challenge one of the gym leaders here in your fine... battling... facilities..." James' words seemed to leave him, after opening his eyes and seeing who spoke to him.  
  
The girl's orange hair, petite frame, and faint voice could only belong to one person, someone that the trio of ex-rockets were hoping they wouldn't bump into... Misty. "You three? What do you want?!" She demanded, narrowing her eyes and going for a pokeball.  
  
James gulped, tugging at his shirt abit, "Please, no need to be alarmed... Jesse, Meowth, and myself quit our jobs at Team Rocket, and now, I'm trying to work my way up through the different gyms, hoping to get into one of the Pokemon Leagues. We're not trying to steal anything, we're simply here to battle, or rather, I'm here to battle whomever is in charge."  
  
"It's the truth, really," Jesse added, doing her best to look sincere.  
  
"Meowth, that's right. We're walking da straight and narrow for once," Meowth chimed in.  
  
Misty sighed, shaking her head, "... fine then, I believe you... if it's a battle you guys want, it's a battle you'll get..." she looked up at the two of them, tapping her foot, "So then, which one of you is going to play against me?"  
  
James looked to Jesse, then smiled, "That would be me... Misty, isn't it? ... I wish to challenge you for the ... Cascade Badge, am I correct?"  
  
The orange-haired trainer nodded some, "... okay James, I accept your challenge... but remember, I expect an honest battle out of you, no tricks or traps like you guys normally do."  
  
James nodded and smiled, "You have nothing to worry about from us, all that is water under the bridge... the only thing you have to fear from me is losing."  
  
Several minutes later, James and Misty were on opposite sides of a water ring, with small island-type structures scattered across the top of the water.  
  
The official stepped up onto the sidelines, holding a flag, "This is an officially sanctioned gym battle. Each trainer may only use three pokemon. The first one to defeat all three of their opponent's pokemon is the winner. On the left, we have Misty representing the Cerulean Gym, and on the right, we have James representing... where did you say you were from sir?"  
  
James shrugged, "I'd rather not say."  
  
The official nodded, "James from points unknown. Let the match begin!" he waved the flag, and the two trainers stared each other down.  
  
James drew his first ball, "I'll begin this match with an old friend." He threw the ball, "Weezing, I choose you!" The ball bounced, and the toxic pokemon appeared in midair, weezing as it stared back at Misty.  
  
Misty smirked, "Still using Weezing I see, fine then." She drew her first ball as well, "Staryu, I choose you!" she tossed her pokeball into the water, and the starfish leaped up from it, doing a few judo chops. "I've beaten your Weezing more times than I can count, James. You better be able to do better than this."  
  
James narrowed his eyes, "Just wait and see, twerp. Weezing, smoke screen now!"  
  
Weezing weased, and covered the field in a thick cloud of smoke, cutting off Staryu's vision.  
  
Misty struggled to see through the thick smoke, but heard a loud bash, and in the shadows, Weezing had delivered a hard tackle to Staryu, knocking it across the pool.  
  
"Very good Weezing," James commended, "now then, let's turn up the intensity some. Use hyper beam on that starfish and make sushi out of it!"  
  
Weezing weased yet again, as it gathered power into itself.  
  
Misty took note of this, "Staryu, head underwater to dodge." The starfish did as it was told, taking a swan dive under the water.  
  
James smirked, "That was your mistake, Misty. Weezing, fire directly into the middle of the water!" Weezing obeyed, then fired off the beam into the water. The explosion was enormous, and created a rather large tidal wave, sending water and debris everywhere. When it was all clear again, Misty was shocked. Staryu was outside of the pool, very much knocked out.  
  
"Staryu is unable to battle, the winner is Weezing," The official said, raising his flag in James' direction.  
  
Misty narrowed her eyes, rather shocked at what she had seen, 'This isn't what I was expecting. He's actually battling like an expert trainer... I guess there are some brains to him after all, I better stay on full alert.' "You caught me off guard there James, I wasn't expecting you to do so well... but now, play time is over." She drew her next ball, "Seel, I choose you!" Misty threw the ball, summoning the arctic pokemon to the battlefield.  
  
James nodded some, smirking, "Return Weezing, take a break for now." He recalled the gas bag, then drew his next pokeball, "Well then, if that's how you're going to be, time to take off the kid gloves... Growlie, I choose you!" he chucked his ball onto one of the small island platforms, and the flaming dog appeared with a howl.  
  
Misty was once again surprised, 'His growlithe? I thought he left it back at his parents' home? He's definitely not playing around here.' "Seel, dive under water, then use Ice Beam." Seel dove underwater, moving through it better than most fish do.  
  
James paid careful attention, "Growlie, jump to another island." Growlie did as he was told, jumping out of the way just as Seel came up to attack, narrowly dodging getting permafrosted. "Now then Growlie, jump at Seel and use Bite!" The flaming puppy howled and obeyed, jumping across the water and sinking its teeth into the side of Seel's tail, trying to make it submit.  
  
"Seel! Try to break free!" Misty shouted out, watching as James continued to do well, amazed at how calm, cool, and collected he was staying. 'This is crazy, he's not supposed to be this good! Ash, Brock, and I have beaten him and Jesse several times!'  
  
James pointed out at the two pokemon, "Growlie, spin Seel around by it's tail, then let it go and use Flame-thrower!"  
  
Growlie obeyed, then began to spin the seal around by it's tail.  
  
Misty shouted, "Seel, try to counter it, and nail Growlie with Water Gun!"  
  
Seel complied, trying to stay focused as it turned its head, sending a blast of water straight at Growlie, making him lose his grip and send Seel flying across the pool.  
  
"Come on Growlie, shake it off and use Flame-thrower!" James shouted, trying to encourage his canine friend.  
  
The fire hound howled, then unleashed a massive blast of red-hot flames, heading straight for the flying Seel.  
  
"Seel, counter with Ice Beam! Hurry!" Misty yelled, trying to save her pokemon from getting barbecued. Seel turned it's head again, firing off a beam of freezing coldness, hitting the flaming blast head on, exploding into a massive steam cloud and blanketing the battlefield.  
  
Both trainers shielded their eyes from the blast, rocking the entire battlefield, sending water and debris flying everywhere. When the fog cleared, and they could once again see the field, both Seel and Growlie were still on their feet, or flippers in Seel's case, thought it was quite obvious that those attacks had taken their tolls on both trainers' pokemon.  
  
"Growlie, can you still fight boy?" James asked his faithful partner. Growlie gave a howl, looking back at his trainer confidently. James smiled, "Good boy, now then, we have a battle to finish!"  
  
Misty smirked, glad to see that Seel was fine, then looked to James, "I'll give you credit James, you're showing more resilience than I thought you'd have... but just as you said, we have a battle to finish, and you're not out of the water just yet."  
  
James smirked as well, "Bring it on Misty, we're feeling quite lucky today, isn't that right Growlie?" Growlie barked, jumping into the offensive.  
  
"Seel, jump under water again," Misty commanded. Seel did as it was told, diving under water and disappearing under one of the islands. "Now then Seel, if you can hear me, fire off Ice Beam, and freeze the surface of the water over!"  
  
James and Growlie blinked as they heard what Misty said. They both looked on as Seel followed orders, freezing the top of the water field into a thick layer of ice.  
  
Jesse and Meowth watched from ringside, and the redheaded trainer looked confused, "Meowth, why would she tell it to do that? There'd be no way for Seel to get out then."  
  
Meowth scratched his chin some, "... it's a tactical advantage... Growlie won't be able to see where it was then... she could be trying to use the old 'Whack a Mole' method."  
  
Jesse blinked, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
Meowth gave a coy smirk, "Simple, while Growlie is desperately trying to find Seel, it can burst through the ice with it's horn anywhere it chooses and attack Growlie by surprise, then when Growlie tries to attack, it goes back underwater, and repeats it again and again. It's a brilliant strategy honestly."  
  
Jesse turned back to watch the battle, "This battle just got a whole lot more interesting."  
  
James watched the battlefield, as did Growlie, waiting for that Seel to show itself, "Watch yourself Growlie, that thing could pop out just about anywhere. Be on your guard." Growlie barked, keeping its eyes on the ice.  
  
"Now Seel! Horn Drill!" Misty shouted. Seel exploded out of the thick ice, launching itself at the growlithe, intending to harpoon it with the horn on its head.  
  
"Dodge it Growlie, use Agility!" James commanded. Growlie howled, dashing across the ice, narrowly avoiding getting struck down by Seel's attack. "Now then, Fire Spin!" James yelled. Growlie complied, sending a blaze across the ice field, producing a cyclone of flames.  
  
"Seel, no! Try to get out of the way!" Misty cried, but it was too late, Seel ended up on the receiving end of the pillar of flames, getting caught up in it as it whirled around the field, melting the ice in a orange blur.  
  
When the flames finally died down, Seel fell into the water, only to end up floating to the top, completely knocked out.  
  
Once more, the official raised his flag to James, "Seel is unable to battle, the winner is Growlie."  
  
Misty held her pokeball out to Seel, calling it back, "You did well Seel, rest up now." She looked across to James, pulling out her last ball. "I must admit, you're a much better trainer than I gave you credit for James."  
  
James smirked, then looked down at Growlie, "Excellent work boy, but I think you should rest now, you've done your part." He called Growlie back, then took out another ball. "Thank you Misty. All those times trying to get Pikachu from you and your friends helped me learn better strategies and what to expect from you and them. Now I say it's all starting to pay off."  
  
Misty just gave him a look, "Well, it's not over yet... Golduck, I choose you!" she threw the ball into the water, and moments later, the large blue duck leaped from the water, standing by it's tamer's side.  
  
James, Jesse, and Meowth were surprised. "Didn't you have a Psyduck?" James asked.  
  
Misty smirked, "He finally evolved a while back, which is good for me, but not so good for you James." Golduck did a few karate chops, trying to psyche out the opposition.  
  
James' expression changed, "I can still win this, I've already beaten two of your pokemon, and I'm fully confident I can beat this one too." He threw his pokeball out, "Weezing, come back out!" The ball landed on one of the islands, and the gas pokemon reappeared on the field, weasing and ready for action. "Careful out there Weezing, that thing is a full grown psychic type, and a water type as well. There's no telling what it will do." James said, waiting for Misty to make her move.  
  
Misty smiled, "Go Golduck, use Confusion on that gas bag." Golduck nodded, its eyes starting to glow, before unleashing a wave of psychic energy towards Weezing.  
  
"Weezing, fly out of the way, then use Hyper Beam again!" James shouted, and Weezing took to the air, just barely avoiding the full blunt of the confusion attack, then started to gather energy.  
  
Golduck stared at it's opponent, and Misty nodded, "Golduck, hit it with confusion while it's still charging! Don't give Weezing a chance to strike!" She yelled, and the blue duck launched another assault on Weezing, this time hitting it's mark, and sending the gas pokemon flying.  
  
"Weezing!" James cried, but Weezing crashed near him, eyes glazed over before passing out.  
  
"Weezing is no longer able to battle, the winner is Golduck!" The official said, this time waving his flag in Misty's direction.  
  
Misty smiled, "Don't look so confident now, do you James?" Golduck grinned, well, as much of a grin as it could make.  
  
James sighed, calling Weezing back, "Rest now Weezing, you did excellently." James then went for another pokeball, 'Weezing was supposed to be my best assault. I wasn't expecting her Psyduck to have evolved into Golduck.' He took his last pokeball, looking at it. 'Looks like I have no other choice, I doubt Growlie would be able to last against that thing. Guess I'll have to fight fire with fire, or in this case, psychic type with psychic type.' James looked up, throwing his last ball, "Abra, I choose you!"  
  
The ball bounced on a chunk of the ice left over from when Seel froze the field, and out popped the small armadillo-like digimon, though no one could tell if it was awake or asleep.  
  
Misty blinked some, seeming confused, 'An Abra? How did that idiot manage to catch one of those? ... no matter, Golduck is still much stronger than it could possibly be...' Misty smirked, "An Abra... so, it's going to be a battle of the minds, James? In that case, I already have you beat. Golduck, send that little thing packing with a Tri Beam!"  
  
Golduck nodded, gathering energy to the red dot on it's forhead, then cried out as it fired, sending the blast at the seemingly sleeping Abra.  
  
James said nothing, watching as the blast flew towards the spot Abra was sitting at. Jesse and Meowth kept yelling, trying to make him make it move. The attack exploded on impact, sending water and ice everywhere, but there was no sign of Abra. Misty looked around, as did Golduck. James smirked, "Now Abra, you know what to do."  
  
Abra reappeared in front of Golduck, it's eyes open and glowing, "Abra.. abra bra!" With a look of shock, Golduck looked straight at Abra, then cried out as it took the full blunt of a psy blast, sending it flying across the gym and crashing into one of the walls, effectively out of the ring area.  
  
"Golduck!" Misty shouted. Some debris from the wall fell on Golduck, covering it. It struggled to climb out of it, and even managed to dig itself free, standing up on the pile of rubble, looking ready to continue, then just blacked out, tumbling down to the floor, passed out.  
  
"Golduck is unable to battle, the winner is Abra. Therefore, the winner of this gym battle is James!" The official said, raising his flag to the blue-haired trainer.  
  
Misty was dumbfounded, as were Jesse and Meowth. The young gym leader turned around, looking to James, who was smiling. "I don't get it, you never even gave it a single command. How did it... how did you..."  
  
James chuckled, petting his little friend, who was now sitting in his arms. "I knew that if I was going to outsmart that Golduck of yours, I'd need a different strategy. Therefore, I counted on Abra's Teleport technique to get him out of danger, and by letting him read my thoughts, we were able to communicate back and forth, therefore not giving you any way of preparing for our attack." He looked down at Abra. "Excellent work my friend, you kept your end of the bargain, and tonight, I'll keep mine." He called Abra back into its ball, pocketting it before stepping down from the platform of the battlefield.  
  
Jesse and Meowth were at a loss of words. "That... that was amazing... James actually managed a decent plan, and carried it out successfully," Jesse said. Meowth nodded, wide-eyed, "I knows, I'm scared too."  
  
Misty stepped down as well, giving a faint sigh before slowly walking up to James. "... I have to admit, you did very well out there... much better than I ever expected... you definately earned this." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small object, shaped like a crystaline tear. "The Cascade Badge.. it's yours James." She put it in his hand, then nodded to him with a smile.  
  
James was grinning from ear to ear, then threw the badge into the air and caught it with his hand, "That was one of the most challenging battles I've ever had, but it paid off... my first badge, I won it fair and square."  
  
Jesse and Meowth ran down to meet James and Misty. "That was .. that was unbelievable. James, you were excellent." Jesse said. "Meowth, dat's right! Jimmy boy can actually handle a decent match. I can just taste that league championship already."  
  
James smiled, then looked to James, "... Misty, if you're not busy right now, and I figure you're just as tired as I am from that battle... would you like to join us for a bite to eat?" he asked, seeming quite sincere.  
  
Misty blinked to him, then her stomach sort of answered for her, grumbling just then and making her blush, "... I guess I could use something to eat."  
  
They all laughed, then gathered their things together, heading out of the gym to grab a late lunch, a battle over and a new kindship beginning for the lot of them.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	7. Burying the hatchet

"So, you guys quit Team Rocket, and now, you're not only wealthy, but trying to win the championships," Misty said, as the three of them sat down in the lounge area of the Pokemon Center.  
  
"That's right. Jesse, Meowth, and myself got tired of always losing, and having to put up with that overbearing jerk, Giovanni. So, pulling our resources together, we decided we had had enough, and now, we're working our way to the top slowly." James said, taking a bite out of a piece of chicken.  
  
Meowth swallowed a piece of chocolate, "So, what're you doing back here in Cerulean City? We thought you and those other twerps... I means, your friends were still traveling together?"  
  
Misty sighed, "Well.. we decided we all had to take care of our own lives and things. It was fun going around with each other, but then we started to realize we all had different priorities. Brock went back to Peuter City to help his dad with his brothers and sisters, and I came back home to run the gym, since my sisters were doing a less than proper job of it."  
  
James and Jesse nodded, and Meowth passed the mashed potatoes over to Misty. "Sounds like a lot of work... I never had any siblings honestly," James said, "Sometimes I wished I had, but you know how these things work out... besides, it sounds like yours are more than a hand full, even if they are older.  
  
Misty sighed, "Don't even get me started. The three of them act more like fashion models than trainers at times, at one point they were just passing the badges out to people without even battling them."  
  
"Meowth, dat's terrible," Meowth replied, finishing off a glass of milk.  
  
Jesse smirked, "Guess no one ever thought those girls beauty is only skin deep."  
  
James coughed, "You're one to talk Jess, or should I bring up some of our past fiascos when your vanity got in the way of victory?"  
  
The red-head trainer shot James a look, but managed to control her temper for once. "So I'm a little vain? At least I'm trying to get better."  
  
Everyone laughed, and Misty smiled, "... Thanks, I needed that... I guess I miss having people around to joke with... if I wasn't afraid that the gym would get into bad shape again without me here, I'd be tempted to come with you guys on your journey, I'm starting to miss life on the road..."  
  
James smiled some, then pulled out a pen from his pocket and grabbed one of the napkins from the table, scribbling down a number, "... if you ever decide you've had enough again Misty, don't be afraid to call... I put down my cell, I picked one up recently when I was getting some things in the last town..." he handed the napkin to Misty, and smiled.  
  
Misty blushed softly, "... that's kind of you guys, especially after all the hell me and the others put you through..."  
  
Jesse smiled, "... consider it an apology for all those times we tried to steal your pokemon... it's water under the bridge now, time for a fresh slate."  
  
Misty giggled, "... that's right... you guys have definately changed..." she looked at the napkin, then stuck it in her pocket, "I'll keep this in mind, and if I change my mind, I'll give you a ring." Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Misty blushed, "Well, as great as it's been talking to you three, I should really get back, a gym leader's work is never done."  
  
Everyone stood up, and Misty shook James' hand, "I wish you guys good luck on your journey... and if you're ever down this way again, don't be strangers."  
  
James, Jesse, and Meowth smiled. "We won't... and thanks for the hospitality, and the great battle." James said, picking up his bag.  
  
Nurse Joy walked up to the small band of trainers, carrying their pokeballs on a tray. "Your pokemon are all healed and refreshed. I thought I'd bring them out to you." She smiled.  
  
James and Misty turned and looked to her, then took their balls from the Joy, pocketting them respectively. James looked to Misty and smiled, "Thanks again Misty, if you happen to speak to the other twerps.... to Ash and Brock, tell them about us, and about all that's happened. I'd like to believe we can all be friends now, instead of enemies like before."  
  
Misty looked up at James, then smiled softly, "I'll do that... it'll be nice to all be on the same side for once." she looked at her watch, "... I gotta go. See ya, and good luck at the next gym." She waved to him and the others, then took off out of the Pokemon Center.  
  
James sighed, then turned and walked back to Jesse and Meowth, giving them a smile. "... well, I feel like we've accomplished something today. Not only did I win my first official gym battle, but I've caught a new pokemon, and we've even made friends with one of our old nemesises."  
  
Meowth hopped up onto the table, "So what's next Jimmy Boy? Find out where the next city with a gym is at, or what?"  
  
Jesse smiled, "We're in no hurry, Meowth. It's not like they're going anywhere... I say we hit the city first and take in the sights, we still have the rest of the afternoon for ourselves. Tomorrow, we get up early, check the map, and then take off on our way."  
  
James nodded some, "I agree with Jesse, we should enjoy ourselves. We can get to the next gym anytime. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and no more boss to say what to do or where to go. Let's have fun!"  
  
They all shouted in agreement, then stood up and gathered their things before departing from the Pokemon Center, wanting to see what the city had in store for them.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	8. Hangovers are bad, Mmkay?

The alarm clock went off in the hotel room, and a disgruntled paw slammed down on it. Groaning, Meowth pulled the sheet off his head, shaking himself abit and stretching like a normal cat. "Augh, my aching head..." the feline pokemon muttered, looking at himself in a mirror by the bed, sticking out his tongue when he saw he had bed fur.

Jesse and James were about the same, James had inexplicibly fallen asleep in the closet of the hotel room, and Jesse had ended up with most of the bed to herself, save the portion Meowth had curled up on. A few empty sake bottles were scattered around the room, as well as most of their clothing. (Nothing perverted happened, sorry. XD)

"... Meowth, shut up... it's too early to be complaining..." Jesse mumbled under the pillows, her long red hair scattered every which way, "... I shouldn't have had that third bottle of sake..."

James fell out of the closet, eyes red and crawling to the bed slowly, "... please, don't mention that stuff, my stomach is still

churning..."

During the evening after the trio left the Cerulean Gym, they had decided to hit the town, and boy, did they ever hit it hard. Catching a few movies, checking out the sights, having lunch and dinner at a few fancy restaurants, and even seeing a few shows. Along the way, they'd stopped for drinks here and there, and then again, and again, and again, and again... Needless to say, by the end of the night, the two trainers and pokemon were completely pickled, though miraculously managed to make it back to their room, with a little help from Abra, who took it upon himself to teleport them back to the hotel before getting some rest himself.

Meowth looked at the alarm clock, "... 11 A.M. ... I wonder if Nurse Joy can treat hangovers... oy!"

James crawled up onto the bed, plopping down beside Jessie, "... I think there's some aspirin in the bathroom... but I don't want to go that far..."

Jesse moaned, reaching for her belt on the nightstand. Pulling a pokeball from it, she dropped it on the floor, "... Arbok... go get the aspirin..."

The ball hit the carpet, and then opened, ejecting the large cobra-like pokemon. Arbok sweatdropped when he noticed the condition his mistress was in, then shook his head before slithering to the bathroom. "... chabok..."

"I heard that..." Jesse said, "... don't start with me this early..."

About an hour later, Jesse, James, and Meowth were downstairs with their luggage, having found some headache medicine in the medicine cabinet of the hotel room. Meowth was enjoying his breakfast, or brunch, considering it was noon. James was sipping a mocha latte, looking over a map of the general region, and Jesse was enjoying French toast with a side of bacon.

"So James... where do we go from here?" Jesse asked, swallowing a bit of the French toast.

"Well, if I'm reading the map correctly, the next gym is about half an hour south of here in... Celadon City." James said.

Meowth blinked, slurping down a piece of toast, "Isn't that the gym with all the plant pokemon, the very one we tried to get that perfume ingrediant from?"

James nodded, "The very one, Meowth. Which means we're probably going to have to watch what we say on this one. Wouldn't want to get thrown out, or worse, get sprayed by a Vileplume." All three of them shuddered at that thought, not wishing to endure that horrible aroma anytime soon.

"Well then, I suggest we finish our meal and get everything packed onto the bike." Jesse said, finishing her plate, downing a glass of milk to wash everything else down.

"And just when I was gonna go back for thirds," Meowth sighed, picking his teeth with one of his claws.

To Be Continued...

Author's note: Yes people, I know I don't have Jesse's name spelled right. I just like writing it that way. If you don't like it, tough. 


	9. Ever get the feeling you were being watc...

After getting their act together once more, not to mention their bags, the three ex-Team Rocket members took off on their way to Celadon City, with James highly anticipating his next gym challenge.

"Things are certainly looking up for us now, if I manage to win a battle at this next gym, I might actually stand a chance at the Pokemon League!" James grinned, adjusting his goggles as he tore down the road, Jesse and Meowth hanging on tight in the side car, something the trio had gotten added before their departure from Cerulean City.

"For once I agree with Jimmy. The way he outsmarted Misty back at her gym was genius! He's gonna wipe the floor with those plant Pokemon," Meowth added.

"I wouldn't act so cocky, Meowth," Jesse spoke up, "Sure, James showed he did have some decent skill, but when you've faced the same person multiple times, it's easy to get a feel for their Pokemon in battle. This is going to be a brand new opponent, one we've only seen once before, it won't be so easy."

"Misty was no easy battle either, but knowing her tactics did help some." James said, keeping his eyes on the road, "We at least have some idea of what we're up against... Erika uses mostly plant types, that's a start at least."

Meowth and Jesse nodded, then held on tight as James made a wide turn, actually lifting the side car off the road and balancing on the two main wheels. "Well, I don't care what she throws at me, I'll do my best, and hopefully, this trip will make badge number two in my set! Celadon City, here we come!"

é-é-é-é-é-é-é-é-é-é

As the trio zoomed down the road to their next destination, two pairs of eyes were watching them from behind twin pairs of binoculars.

"So, the rumor WAS true," one voice, distinctively female, spoke up, "Jesse and James left Team Rocket and went AWOL."

"Yeah," replied another voice, this time male. "Wonder what the boss is gonna think about that."

"Probably be the best news he's heard all year, especially considering how many times those idiots kept messing up." The women smirked.

"Good point, and good riddance. At least now we won't have to hear them mess up OUR motto anymore." The young man chuckled, the two of them resuming their watch on the two ex-Rockets.

To be continued...

é-é-é-é-é-é-é-é-é-é

Sorry this chapter was so short guys, but I've been battling both writers block and all the hell I'm going through IRL. I promise to do my best to make it up to you in the next one. Until then, read and review! :D


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